Emily and Bentley — True to their Hearts?

Monday night, after one of most poignant examples yet of how boring the Bachelorette has become without Bentley, Emily (from the Bachelor) showed up to be ogled interviewed by Chris Harrison and provided a few tearful comments on her and Brad’s relationship.  She had a lot of things to share and Chris had a lot of inane responses, but buried in the midst of it was Emily’s declaration that she had to be honest to herself and to her heart.  And that’s why she dropped Brad.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Hasn’t there been another contestant recently that bravely remained true to his heart, despite the immense pressure of a hateful public and the powerful publicity machine of ABC?

Yes, there has been. Bentley. This blog has covered Bentley’s truthfulness and honesty extensively, and has quite rightly lauded him for it. Why is everyone supporting Emily for doing the same thing they criticized Bentley for? Maybe it just reflects our society’s double standard. Women are allowed to be honest with their feelings but men aren’t. In any case, one thing is certain. Bentley will be greatly missed, and the show just isn’t the same without him.

A Rose for Emily (Maynard)

Everyone is making a big deal out of the fact that Bentley said he prefers Emily Maynard to Ashley Hebert. Guess what, so does Brad Womack (he picked her), so do viewers (they love her), and so does ABC (they approached her about doing the show first). That means that it is a virtual statistical impossibility that Bentley is the only contestant that prefers someone over Ashley. He’s just the only one that has come right out and said it.

So what does Emily think about Bentley? Her initial reaction was similar to Ashley’s – she said he was handsome and charming. Then she “got to know him” through the show. In other words, she caved to the court of public opinion, became a puppet to the producers, and jumped on Chris Harrison’s Bentley-is-a-villain bandwagon. She could learn a thing or two from contrarian Bentley (or the Apologists). Have the courage to be different!

But be warned Emily. You seem like a super nice girl and are clearly gorgeous. People tend to like you (Bentley Apologists included). But if you don’t start voicing your own opinions, everyone will lose interest quickly, and you will fade from our cultural memory. “A Rose for Emily” can either evoke the most beautiful contestant in the history of the Bachelor or a debutante’s necrophilia. Your choice.